Rocketplane Kistler at death's door?

[radarredux]

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article stating that Rocketplane Kistler has failed in its efforts to win outside investment, its lead contractor, Alliant Techsystems, has essentially halted work, and NASA has suspended any more money until there is an infusion of private cash.<br /><br />Doesn't sound good.<br /><br /><b><font color="yellow">Private-Rocket Venture Failing to Win Investors</font>/b><br />By Andy Pasztor<br />http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118765915403803658.html<br />(subscription required)</b>

 

[no_way]

i doubt if they could ever manage to fly a Estes D, with all the worlds funding available.<br />it would probably stay at "80% hardware complete" while they change management, redesign their website, merge and split apart and make deals for couple of decades.<br /><br />i mean, with all the steam coming out in their press releases you could go to Jupiter and back, twice.

 

[windnwar]

I couldn't understand why they were selected for COTS anyway, given how poorly they've performed in the past at well, everything. There had to be someone else out there better suited to fund that had more then just a powerpoint presentation. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font size="2" color="#0000ff">""Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein"</font></p> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

It's a shame, really. The K-1 was an interesting design. Too bad they had the wrong people managing the program.<br /><br />Perhaps now Rocketplane can dump Kistler and get back to completing those modified Learjet suborbital tourist spaceplanes, which were also about 80% complete IIRC. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I couldn't understand why they were selected for COTS anyway...<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />My guess is that NASA saw the supposed 80% complete figure in some RPK PowerPoint and figured "Hell, they're almost done. It's a sure bet!"<br /><br />Little did they know... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

not surprising though.<br /><br />(hearing TAPS in the background) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

I wonder what NASA will do with the rest of the grant. Make it available to SpaceX, keep it, or make it available to the next runner up? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[no_way]

making it available to next runner up would make most sense. the sooner they announce it the sooner they can start moving.

 

[docm]

<font color="yellow">I wonder what NASA will do with the rest of the grant. Make it available to SpaceX, keep it, or make it available to the next runner up?</font><br /><br />Unless SpaceDev + Lockheed is close to completion of their evaluation I doubt anyone else could ramp up fast enough. That or Lockheed as a solo. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[space_dreamer]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - SPACEDEV DREAMCHASER!!!

 

[gpurcell]

Kistler at Death's Door?<br /><br />Now, why did someone bump a thread from 1999?

 

[docm]

For COTS the questions about Dream Chaser are;<br /><br />1. could it carry enough cargo?<br /><br />2. can it do the un-crewed mission? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9491&mid=185067#M185067

 

[crix]

Hey Jim, what are your thoughts on the former COTS competitor T/Space?<br /><br />I liked their small but commercially accessible strategy.

 

[holmec]

Another article....NASA give notice to RPK<br /><br />SDC article <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[gunsandrockets]

Heh. Yes the Dreamchaser is certainly the coolest looking of all the competitors and was a finalist for the COTS 1.<br /><br />But I am hopefull for t/Space (another finalist).

 

[mccorvic]

My guess is that they would make the money available to the next in line. Last thing they'd want is for SpaceX to fail (for whatever reason) and have no one to turn to.<br /><br />Though I wouldn't mind seeing some of the money going to SpaceX to help them out. I have, so far, been impressed and would hate to see anything get delayed because of a bit of a cash shortage.

 

[themanwithoutapast]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>My guess is that they would make the money available to the next in line. Last thing they'd want is for SpaceX to fail (for whatever reason) and have no one to turn to. <br /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />No, there is always one they can turn to - Soyuz and Progress. In fact they have already done so for the period up to 2011. If no credible proposals for COTS-2 come in, they just keep on buying Russian capabilities - after all we are only talking about of 4 years to bridge.

 

[docm]

Presuming Uncle Vlad doesn't go into another snit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[windnwar]

yeah the biggest issue with using the russian launch capability going forward once we have none of our own is it will quickly become a political bargaining chip just as supplying nuke plants to our enemies has been. The only way to keep it from not being a bargaining chip is to have an alternative. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font size="2" color="#0000ff">""Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein"</font></p> </div>